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Living With Gusto (2013)

by Elizabeth Day(Favorite Author)

3.13 of 5 Votes: 1

languge

English

genre

Fiction

publisher

Blue Root Press

review 1: This was a tough one to get through. The story that is the driving force and the lessons learned were clear enough, but how it bounced back and forth left me feeling lost and frustrated. It took a long time for me to muddle through it, but at the end, I can't say I hated it. In fact, I liked it, but didn't love it. It could use some better transitions between her time with Gusto and what was going on in reality.
review 2: This is a beautifully written book that follows the same character through two dimensions. The first is what we know to be her daily reality, the world in which she lives, works, and parents. This story line carries with it a mystery of sorts; only as the book progresses do we find out what it is she's "done" and whether or not her actions... more can be (or should be) repaired. I won't say anymore on that so as not to spoil it, but it's compelling.The second dimension is the main character's dealings with Gusto, who we understand to be her inner wisdom of sorts, though the scenes with him take place with very real objects and lessons. I'm doing a terrible job of explaining this, which makes me appreciate the book even more, because the author does it so seamlessly and believably. With Gusto the protagonist is able to evaluate what is (and is not) important in her life, why she has made (or needed to make ) the decisions she has, and what shape her life will take in accordance with her answers to those questions.You have to have an open mind and an open heart. One of my favorite scenes in the book is when the main character describes how another couple looked with disdain on a project she'd been excited about. They dismissed it as "cheesy". The point of this is not what others think, but how you let that effect (affect?) you. She expresses anger at giving up on something which had very real meaning to her, just because someone else wrote it off. That scene represents an important part of how any reader should approach the book. If you are willing to be honest with yourself (not something everyone is ready for), this book can be an inspiring story of finding peace and happiness in the chaos of life and appreciating every little bit of that chaos along the way.Beautifully written, compelling, inspiring. Highly recommend. less

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